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When examining terrorism and organised crime, the financial aspect is perhaps one of the most important considerations, particularly when adopting an international perspective. Discovering financial channels is fundamental in identifying and locating terrorist groups and transnational criminal organisations; and delineating their economic boundaries and convergences is one of the most effective ways to both contrast and prevent their activities. It should be noted at the outset that it is not easy to understand the financial aspects of organised criminals' and terrorists' activities. The difficulties in comprehending different money laundering systems are well known, and money laundering is only one aspect of the criminal financial field. And of course, this is not a new but a well-developed phenomenon, since terrorism and organised crime have had contacts, exchanges and co-operations for many years. Usually, organised crime activities are not typical terrorist activities, even if we are unsure about which kind of actions are considered typical of the terrorist field. We have to consider some basic differences, which are fundamental to an understanding of the needs and uses of money in criminal and terrorist activity. This work will examine the methods used by terrorism and organised crime to gain profit, draw out the differences and similarities, and suggest strategies to intervene practically in this field. It will also identify the various points of contact between these different organisations, and how they can co-operate (particularly economically and financially), sometimes becoming a single criminal group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite all the achievements of the past few years, the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro) are still perceived as a region characterised by high political and economic instability. The events of the last fifteen years have left many problems unresolved which are still today impeding lasting peace and stability. Among the multiple problems of the Western Balkan countries today, diffused criminal activities are probably among the most complex, as they have proved very difficult to eradicate. Although there have been a number of positive initiatives in recent years against organised crime in Southeast Europe, also within the numerous activities of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe and the Southeast European Cooperation Process, criminal activities continue to represent a serious impediment to achieving more permanent regional stability, and as such are also a major threat to security for the whole of Europe. Organised crime in the Western Balkans is also considered a major obstacle for integrating these countries into the European Union (E.U.). A better understanding of these problems is therefore fundamental, as it can help in the search for remedies for combating crime in the Western Balkans in the future, as well as contribute to their swift integration into the E.U. In trying to shed light on these complex issues, this paper will first give an overview of the multiple factors that have contributed to widespread criminality in the Western Balkans (part 2). Next, it will examine E.U. policies towards the Western Balkans, both during the 1990s and in the post-1999 period, when the Stabilisation and Association Process finally offered these countries prospects of E.U. membership (part 3). Within such European perspectives, some critical elements of E.U. policies towards the Western Balkan region are discussed (part 4). The paper ends with a few concluding remarks (part 5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]